Session 2 summary

[chadsansing]

Key NPCs

• Dril, the silent partner, scales in darkness
• Pfrenk, dwarven Soma dealer in Portia
• Maik, elven bartender at the Burnt Turtle in the Soma Ring
• Petra Bladebender, fleeing artificer
• Dema Inkscar, a name on first list of the Friends of Petra and dead Magmatic cloak
• Jotah Kegshaker, a name on first list of the Friends of Petra and dead Magmatic cloak
• Nerok Darkhall, a name on first list of the Friends of Petra and dead Magmatic cloak

Key locations

• Portia safehouse
• The Weeping Angel, a Golem ship
• Sootbeard Mine, a dwarven mine near Kilvar's pass at the head of the Ash River
• Visus, the Bridge City, a trade city at the mouth of the Ash River
• Kilvar's pass, a non-lethal way to cross the mountains from the wasteland to the elvish forest.
• The Outer Ring, the thickening ring of dead and blasted Soma trees around the elvish forest
• The Soma Ring, the current ring of Soma production around the elvish forest
• The Burnt Turtle, a bar in the Soma Ring

Key events

• Psalt determines that the red crystal shard network has 60 members. See #3 for geographic distribution.
• Wally contacts a former supervisor, claiming to be asking after information for Root, and discovers that 3 of the names on the first list of the Friends of Petra belong to the dead Magmatic cloaks.
• Wally tries to contact the people with the other names on that list, but only gets back encrypted messages he cannot decrypt.
• The party boards the Weeping Angel and discovers it's a Golem ship.
• The Golem is wrapped in Gigaphid chitin.
• The party discovers an encrypted lock-box in the captain's cabin.
• After focusing on the encrypted lock (cast with Maze), the party can see the lock-hole, indicating that they all know the keyword to decrypt the spell/lock.
• The party follows the directions in the lock box to touch the shards on the ship's masthead and contact Dril, the silent partner, scales in darkness. Faelin climbs a boat; Wally takes one for the team.
• Dril wants to party to toss their red crystal shards into the water and to work for Dril.
• Dril suggests that Root wants to kill the artificers and the party after its work is done.
• Dril claims to be interested only in the technologies stolen by the artificers; no disintegrations.
• It's clear that Dril has a source of information inside Magmatic or the red crystal shard network.
• The party decides to practice impeccable infosec and work for two masters, isolating their shards in different pockets to avoid bridging networks.
• The party lays in equipment and supplies and purchases mounts (horses) to travel north after Petra.
• On its way through the Outer Ring, the party sees a Gnoll raiding party demolished by elves arriving on Gigaphid APCs.
• Faelin successfully disguises himself as an elf, albeit with waxy features, using Glamour.
• Kilvar takes the group to meet Maik the bartender at the Burnt Turtle in the Soma Ring, which is like a series of Black Rock Cities spreading out from each producing tree.
• Kilvar bribes Maik with coffee.
• When asked about Petra, who has distinguishing auburn hair, Maik gestures out and up into the Outer Ring of blasted and used Soma trees.
• Because of the party's willingness to work for both Root and Drill, and because of Wally's inquiries and the attention paid to Faelin in the Soma Ring, the party's Risk Eater, uh, risk, has risen to 5%, still at the nuisance level (1-2 Risk Eaters ambush the party on a 1d100 roll of 5 or less).

Key understandings

• The Weeping Angel is a Golem ship/mobile hub.
• Dril is not human.
• Faelin's way of dressing as an elf brings negative attention in the Soma Ring.
• As the Outer Ring thickens, the elvish forest thins. The Soma Ring is the corrosive boundary between them, tightening inward.
• Holding shards from two networks bridges them.
• Messages sent in the open on a network are readable by everyone on that network.
• Keywords encrypt messages on a network.
• True name/soul name key pairings provide the best encryption on a network in which no one else knows your soul name.

Key decisions

• What to do about Petra.
• What to do with Petra's tech if you recover it.
• Who to claim as your patron (see above).

Players, add your insights and questions below to get ready for session 3 on May 1st, 2018!

[pfzenke]

Awesome! Thank you so much for this @chadsansing.

[chadsansing]

Moved to https://github.com/chadsansing/cineris-campaign/session-notes/session-2.md